Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1887-12-28

and when he had there was no n orc
peace for IT, under his roof.
He had ragged and s;ormed. declaring
that no niece of his should marry Will-
lam Mapleson, OH pain Of disinherit-
anee.
Mine was always n weak, timid ma
ture. Perhaps some women q was no
longer young girl; my thirticih birth
day had come and gomez would have
actively resented his tyranny and a.
serted their individual rights; 1 could
not. was in his power; for when my
parents died he had taken me in,
penniless girl. ard had from that time
given me. in his particular hard way,
all that needed to live-not but some
would have felt they fully earned such
keep.
/ scarcely ever looked at it in that
way.
l had been weak and helpless. alone
in the world. not very strong in health,
when he had CONE to my fathers
funeral; aud after paving all expenses.
had simply said: Now go and pack
] Up NNhA MI AWu lilNoA AuAfAt Win nit
to Norlington Farm. Can't say. I'm
sure. what old Betty will say; but there's
nothing else. as | see. to be done. Re-
member, my girl. tits not a lady's life l
am Offering you; but I suppose you are
not too fine "a lady To know what work
means?"
''lf had been then, all was corrected
by now. During these seven years l
have worked hard and lived hard.
Yet there are those who say that old
Peter Glennie is worth half million of
money.
My golden week of happiness is gone;
but although William is gone, am
strangely content
i do not regret the step have taken.
Since the morning after my marriage
my uncle had been better and quieter
Old Mr.. Baines. the lawyer. had been
with him full hour that morning, and
old Jenkyns had been called into his
room to sign his name to some docu-
ment, together with the hired nurse.
''He is n miserable old man." she
said to me the other day. IL suppose
it's his will we signed. What a grudge
he seems to have against marriage.
| He grOwls continually. even i'm his sleep,
about fools getting marriedr'
"Ahr' | said: 'he has never mar
ried."
NO" she laughed. 81 should not
say any one was the loser by that.
either"
He had called her at this moment,
and | was left alone to ovcrhear a con-
versation between old Jenkyns and
Betty, who, being both deaf, were talk
ing over the same matter in the kitchen.
"Ah, well. Betty. it's hard day for
the farm when Mr.. William goes away;
and how'll the old master do wi a new
steward at his tonne o. life. wonder?"
"He knows what he's about, never
| you fear. Do'ee think for moment
rs how he don't know a letting him 90
Is the only way o. preventin' a mar
riage between he and Miss Norah? Hal
ha! ha!'
As hear her cunning old laugh at
my expense sit hugging NY love to
my heart.
Old Betty always owed me a grudge
for coming to Norlington Farm.
although she had been compelled to
show me ordinary civility.
How little she knew we were mar
ried only yesterday, under her very
nose, as it were.
So far l had deceived him and the
few other people knew-deceived him
through his own hardness; for so far
rs l was concerned would have told
him, only | knew and my husband
knew that any sudden shock would in
all probability kill him.
We should have parted and kept true
faith with each other if my strength
had not been weakened when that good
offer TO go to Canada had come so sud-
denly. Then he had prayed me to
marry him before he started, so that
il my uncle died might at once come
out To him as his wife.
And now William was gone. The
ship had sailed and I was alone; but
happier far than as if 1 had denied him
his prayer
Since the day after my marriage,
| when Mr.. Baines had been with my I'M
Gle, he had been quieter, but strangely
| anxious not TO let me out of his sight.
All through the week had not been
once out Of the house. OF this he
seemed to take full care by keeping me
near him by every pretence he could
think of.
The ship had sailed only one week
when my uncle died suddenly, and
then on the day of his lonely funeral
came the reading of the old miser's
will.
came down with my wedding-ring
exposed for the first time.
IL was noticed at once.
Miss Glennie and Mr. Baines looked
aghast at me. The doctor who had at
tended my poor uncle looked Mortified,
rs well he might, knowing that it meant
disinheritance to me IL married.
Old Betty's ewes had wicked CLEAN
in them rs she said: Perhaps Won
didn't know. you aud William Maple
son, that you'd lose every thing if you
marricd?"
I'VE did not care to think of it," /
said. Il should have sailed with him
had not my duty kept me with your
MASTER"
AT that moment | could not say "my
uncle" old Betty looked so malicious.
And So" she said, lyon have gone
and lost n fortune-losta fortune to get
married.
can not describe the insolent sheer
with which she Kissed out the words.
81 made his will the 9th Of this
month, my dear lady. decreeing it so.
When were you married."
'On the both, Mr.. B,,iues.''